Lesson 4: Member Missionary Work (Part 2)
“[Thou shalt] work with members of the Church to find people to teach. The ideal situation is when members invite others to be taught and are present for the teaching. When members do this, more people are baptized and remain active in the Church. Association with members is important because it softens people's hearts and often leads them to investigate the restored gospel. This often means that they are brought to the circle of friends off Church members, including active and less-active members, recent converts, and part-member families.
“President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: “So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces and investigator, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel.
“The full-time missionaries may do the actual teaching, but the member, wherever possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert who is making a big and often difficult change....The process of bring new people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source from which new investigators are found.” (PMG p.160)
What does it mean to “find by the spirit?”
It means to have the faith to receive revelation telling you who you should approach, where to be and what to do and what to say.
Concerns?
“Many members of the Church have fears about doing missionary work. Many are unsure where to begin or what to say. Many fear that they will lose close friends if they try to share the gospel with them. There are many ways to help the members. For example, help build their faith by teaching them the message of the Restoration and other doctrines of the lessons. Help them feel the Spirit and power of our message. Strengthening their understanding of the doctrine of Christ will do more to increase their trust in you and to build their excitement to do missionary work than anything else you can do. Help them understand that offering the restored gospel will flow more naturally out of relationships where they are seeking to love and serve their family members and friends. Teach them the principles from the “Go About Doing Good” section of this chapter. Encourage members to “join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who [know] not God” In all you do with members, seek to lift and build their faith to help them do missionary work.” (PMG p.161)
Appointments with Members:
First Appointment
Share a spiritual thought to help them feel the spirit of member missionary work.
Ask them if any names come to mind.
Tell them that the names or people they thought of are given by the Lord so that it will build their faith.
If they do not have a name, get them to write a list of all the people they see each day...including bus drivers, junk mail man,....etc and say to them that one of those 20 or may be 30 people would be prepared by the Lord. (There may be other ways, but the point is to build their faith.
Commit them to pray about who to work with and what they should do with them.
Second Appointment
Follow up with them on their commitment. They may or may not give you concerns.
Teach them how to proceed with the revelations they've received.
Demonstrate with your companion through role play to show them how it's done.
Role play with the member so that they would have the chance to practice and build up confidence.
Role play scenarios:
(For the following scenarios, think about what the missionary would have to teach and commit)
The member has received a prompting that they should give out a copy of the Book of Mormon to the person whom the Lord has revealed to them. But they don't know how to naturally approach the person and carry out the process.
The member is feel prompted to work with his neighbor but even though they've been neighbors for 8 years, they haven't really got to know each other.
The member is excited for missionary work, but don't know what they can do.
The member has tried giving out pass along cards, invitations but says it doesn't seem to work. (He hasn't done it by the spirit), therefore he is showing a lack of faith.
The member is a busy mom, and doesn't go out a lot, except to go and pick up her kids and her kids' friends as giving them rides. She feels there is no opportunity. (Well, she has to go grocery shopping right? She can invite the other kids to church activities, talk with other parents while waiting outside the school for her kids. There are opportunities.)
The member has a very busy calling and doesn't believe he has time to do member missionary work. He may even say that he's done enough. Note that the member could be a Bishop or even a Stake President. (This happens in real life, and the awkward thing is that the missionaries doesn't want to offend the priesthood leader)
The name that came to mind for the member is somebody who lives really far away. He doesn't believe he can do anything about it. (On my mission, there was a recent convert who sent a copy of the Book of Mormon to his uncle somewhere in South America. I helped a friend of mine understand the gospel while chatting with him on MSN where I am in BYU and he's in Hong Kong. Time and Place are not bounds or excuses to member-missionary work.)
The non-member has agreed with the member that she will read the Book of Mormon with the member but not on her own. She has also refused missionary to visit her as she feels “it is too soon.” The member, provided with this opportunity now doesn't know what she should share from the Book of Mormon.
The member is invited by her friends to a party where she knows that she would be offered drinks and smoke. She sees it as a missionary opportunity but doesn't know whether she should go or not.
The name that came to mind for the member was someone who just had a big misfortune. He is feeling really down. (He may have been in a car crash and lost his car but fortunately unhurt. He could have broken up with his girl friend. He could have lost his wallet...etc) The member feels strongly that she should talk to him about the gospel, but doesn't know how to approach or start.
The member doesn't have many non-member friends.
The member feels prompted to invite their friends to a Family Home Evening. However, the member, along with his family are recent converts and never hosted a Family Home Evening before.
What does it mean to be successful in Member Missionary Work?
Success doesn't mean you will get referrals. Neither does it mean that there will be baptisms. True success if measured by the effort your members put in to missionary work. As long as they're doing something every day of the week towards missionary work, it is a success, even it is just bringing cookies to their neighbor's front door.
“Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost.” (PMG p.10)
Topic to Study
Your investigator feels that baptism is just an outward expression of one's desire to follow God, but not an essential ordinance. Show through the scriptures clearly that it is required.